Combined electrolytic and mechanical interrupter.



No. 727,471. PATENTED MAY 5. 1903- H. E. SMITH.

CUMBINBD ELECTROLYTIC AND MECHANICAL INTERRUPTER. APPLIOIATION FILED JULY 25, 1902- I0 HUBBL- ammi iillii lll HI 25 4 (N VENTOR mans c0. vrwrqumo. WASHINGTON, n. c.

, UNITED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE RAWLINS SMITH, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,471, dated May 5,1903.

Application filed July 25, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that LHORAOE RAwLINs SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Combined Electrolytic and Mechanical Interrupter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an interrupter suitable for the operation of Ruhmkorff coils and the like, and comprises both an electrolytic or Wehnelt interrupter of modified form and a mechanical interrupter connected therewith, the two interrupters mutually qualifying the effect of each other.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a diagram of a modification of my invention as used without the mechanical interrupter; and Fig. 2 is a diagram of my preferred form, showing both the electrolytic and mechanical interrupters connected together and in operation.

The secondary of the Ruhmkorif coil is shown at l and the primary at 2. The exciting-wires for the primary are shown at 3 and 4. The wire 5 is connected with the electrolytic interrupter, comprising jars 6 7 with theircontents,asheleinafterexplained. The wires 4 and 5 maybe connected with ordinary feed-wires used in electric lighting or may be supplied from any direct current of high po= tential. The jar 6 comprises a lead electrode 8 of large size and a platinum electrode 9 of comparatively small size. The electrode Sis the cathode, and the platinum electrode 9 is the anode. The action of this jar per Se is practically the same as that of the ordinary WVehnelt interrupter.

The jar 7 is provided with a lead cathode 10 and with platinum anodes 11 12 13, these anodes being of relatively dilferent sizes, so as to present different areas in contact with the electrolytic fluid. Each of these jars is provided with the ordinary acidulated solution used in the Wehnelt interrupter. From the electrodes 10 11 12 13 the Wires 14 15 16 17 lead to the respective contacts 18 19 2O 21. Where the mechanical interrupter is employed, as indicated in Fig. 2, the contacts 18 Serial No, 116,921. (No model.) 7

19 20 are, by means of wires 22, 23, and 24, connected with the contacts 26 27. Where the mechanical interrupter is not employed, as in Fig. 1, a Wire 6 connects the cathode 8 with the switch mechanism. When the mechanicalinterrupteris employed, as indicated in Fig. 2, a wire 28, provided with a shunt 29, connects the cathode 8 with a rheostat 38 and with the switch mechanism, the Wire 28 also connecting the cathode 8 with the mechanical interrupter 30, provided with the make-and-break contacts 31 and 32. From the contact 31 a wire 33 leads to the switch 35, which is 'pivoted'at 34, as shownin Fig. 2. The switch 36 is substantially fan-shaped and is pivoted at 37, as shown in both Figs. 1 and 2. The button 39 on the rheostat 38 is the button of greatest resistance, and the button 40 is the button of least resistance.

The operation of the device shown in Fig. 1 is as follows: The wires 4 and 5 being connected with a source of electrical supply, the switch 36 is moved into engagement With the contact 21. The current thereupon passes from the platinum anode 9, through the electrolytic liquid and cathode 8, wire 6, switch 36, and wire 17 to the platinum anode 13. This anode 13 being very small and considerably removed from the cathode 10 does not permit the current to pass freely through the jar 7, but acts somewhat in the nature of an obstruction. The current, weakened by the resistance due to the electrolyte in the jar 7, passes through the Wires '14 and 3 to the primary 2, thence returns by Wire 4 to the source. If now the switch 36 be moved into engagement with the contact 20, it will be seen'that the current passes through both wires 16 and 17 to platinum anodes l2 and 13, which together present a much larger surface than the anode 13 alone. Besides this the anode 12is somewhat nearer the oathode 10 than is the anode 13. The resistance now offered by the electrolyte in the jar 7 is considerably .less than'before. The switch 36 being moved still farther up, so as to engage the contact 19, the current passes in parallel from all three of the anodes 11 12 13 to the cathode 10, and the flow is still further increased because of the diminished resistance of the electrolyte. The switch 36 being moved into engagement with the contact 18,

the action is changed somewhat, all of the electrodes in jar 7 being short-circuited, so

that the current passes directly from the wire 6 to the wire 3. The result of this is that the jar 6 serves as an ordinary W'ehnelt interrupter and is not qualified by the action of any other part. It will be observed, therefore, that the jar 7, together with the switch 36 and contacts 18.19 20 21, serve to govern the amount of current flowing through the primary coil, thus enabling the operative to dispense with a rheostat.

I have found, too, byexperience that with the jars thus connected the sparks produced are of a much higher efficiency than would be the case if the jar 6 alone were used, the reason being that the anodes 11 12 13 act to some extent as a condenser.

My preferred form of apparatus (shown in Fig. 2) is employed somewhat differently. The switch 36 is moved into engagement with contact 21 and the switch into engagement with the contact 27. The result is that the current passes through the wire 5, the

jar 6, and wire 28, and thence, dividing, a part flows through the mechanical interrupter 30, wire 33, switch 35, cont-act 27, wire 24, wire 16, anode 12, cathode 10, wire let, wire 3, primary 2, and wire 4 back to the source. Another part of the current flows through wire 29, switch 36, contact 21, wire 17, anode 13, cathode 10, wire 14, wire 3, primary 2, and wire 4 back to the source. The mechanical interrupter 30 and the electrolytic interrupter have independent rates of speed and seldom make or break at exactly the same instant. Any tendency of the mechanical interrupter to spark isneutralized by the electrolytic interrupter in the following manner.

Suppose that there is a tendency for the extra current incidental to the so-called make between the contacts 31 and 32. The anode 12 receives this extra current, which acts upon it electrolytically, so as to form a thin pellicle of gas upon its surface, as in the Wehnelt interrupter. The thin layer of gas thus produced being merely a part of the ordinary electrolytic action which characterizes the anode 12 is not wasted, but its immediate eifect is to prevent sparking between the electrodes 31 32. The electrolytic action of the anode 12 is therefore somewhat analogous to that of a condenser. Suppose now that the extra current due to breaking the contacts 31 32 tends to produce a spark. The

spark is prevented by the fact that the wires 28 and 33 give relief to the extra currentthat is to say, the wire 28 being connected, by means of the Wire 29, switch 36, and wire 17, with the anode 13 and the wire 33 being connected by the switch 35 and wires 24 and 16 with the anode 12 cause the extra current to flow through either or both of these anodes, thus producing its electrolytic effect and avoiding any sparking between the contacts 31 32. It will be seen, therefore, that the jar 7 acts not only as a rheostat, but also as a condenser and as a regulator. I have found from experience that the currents of high potential made by a coil employing the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 are not only powerful and easily controlled, but that they are less liable to do damage to the various parts of the mechanism than is the case with any other interrupting apparatus with which I am familiar.

The switch 36 may be moved into engagement with the contact 20 and the switch 35 into engagement with the contact 26. The result is that the current now passes directly through the anodes 13 and 12 and also through the mechanical interrupter and the anode 11. The switch 36 being moved into engagement with the contact 19, all three of the anodes ll 12 13 are brought directly into play at the same time, and the switch 35 being brought into engagement with the contact 25 causes the mechanical interrupter to still furnish independent interruptions. .Finally, when the switch 36 is moved into engagement with the contact 18 the electrolytic jar '7 is completely short-circuited. hen this is the case, the switch 35 may be moved into engagement with the contact 25 or not, accordingly as it may be desired to have the effect of both the jar 6 and the mechanical interrupter 30. Of course by moving the switch 36 into engagement with the contact 18 and 1 moving the switch 35 out of engagement with all of the contacts 25 26 27 the mechanical interrupter can be thrown completely out of circuit. By means of the rheostat 38 the current may be apportioned between the electrolytic and mechanical interrupters with considerable nicety. By directing the current through the button 40, this button defining the path of least resistance, the rheostat may be virtually cut out, so that the greater portion of the current passes through the electrolytic interrupter. A mere adjustment of the rheostat in the usual man ner is therefore all that is necessary to secure any desired variation in the relative effect of each interruption upon the secondary or static current, generally the coil. Even when the switch 36 is moved into engagement with the contact 18 and the switch 35 is moved into engagement with the contact 25, so that the electrolytic jar 7 is completely short-circuited and no longer serves as a resistance, the rheostat 38 still serves to adjust and to apportion the current passing through the mechanical interrupter.

I have found that the combined interrupters above described form a very efficient, reliable, and adaptable means for regulating the secondary discharges.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A combined electrolytic and mechanical interrupter, comprising an electrolytic interrupter capable of acting as a condenser and a mechanical interrupter, said interrupters ICC ' having independent periods of interruption and being normally connected together in series, and means, controllable at will, for connecting said interrupters in parallel.

2. A combined electrolytic and mechanical interrupter, comprising an electrolytic interrupter capable of acting as a condenser and a mechanical interrupter said interrupters being normally connected in series, and means, controllable at will, for apportioning the relative quantity of current flowing through said interrupters.

3. A combined electrolytic and mechanical interrupter, comprising an electrolytic interrupter capable of acting as a condenser and a mechanical interrupter, said interrupters having independent periods of interruption, means for connecting said electrolytic and mechanical interrupters to the mechanism to be energized, and switches for connecting said electrolytic and mechanical interrupters together.

4:. A combined electrolytic and mechanical interrupter, comprising a mechanical interrupter, a vessel provided with an electrolyte and with a cathode, and a plurality of anodes, said anodes differing from each other in size, and means controllable at will, for connecting said mechanical interrupter with one or more of said anodes, for the purpose of governing the distribution of current through said electrolytic vessel and through said mechanical interrupter, whereby said electrolyte and said anodes and said cathode serve to some extent as a rheostat for said mechanical interrupter.

5. A combined electrolytic and mechanical interrupter, comprising a mechanical interrupter, a vessel provided with an electrolyte and with a plurality of electrodes in contact 6. A combined electrolytic and mechanical interrupter, comprising a mechanical interrupter, an electrolytic interrupter, means for supplying a current to both of said interrupters, and mechanism controllable at will, for apportioning said current between the inter rupters.

7. A combined electrolytic and mechanical interrupter, comprising a mechanical interrupter, an electrolytic interrupter, means for dividing the current and passing a portion thereof through each of said interrupters, and means controllable at will, for governing the internal resistance of said electrolytic interrupter, whereby the same is caused to act as a rheostat for said mechanical interrupter;

8. A combined electrolytic and mechanical interrupter, comprising an electrolytic inter rupter, and a mechanical interrupter, connected together and having independent periods of interruption, said electrolytic interrupter comprising an electrolyte, and a cathode and a plurality of anodes of different sizes submerged in the electrolyte, and manuallyoperated mechanism for apportioning the flow of current through said electrolytic interrupter and said mechanical interrupter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HORACE RAWLINS SMITHa Witnesses:

CHARLES S. DOWNS, W. T. HOWARD. 

